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to another. Men who cannot read and write have excellent memories for the spoken word and could repeat much longer and more complex orders word perfect. One of the men nodded, repeated the order, and set off to pass it further along. Geoffrey returned to Ian, to whom he gave Owain's comment on Sir Peter and then the count. |
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"Nine are dead, two of them only serving men, so we may count seven. Three more are like to die shortly and may be dead already. I think you must count ten dead, my lord." |
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Ian nodded. That was somewhat worse than he hoped, but not so bad as it might have been. His eyes, however, remained fixed upon the scurrying groups of enemy below. Geoffrey expected that and went on without urging. |
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"The wounded are even harder for me to judge, my lord. I would say fifteen cannotor should notfight again. Two that claimed to be sore hurt I think are malingerers. I spoke them softly in the ear and reminded them that if the keep were taken, everyone in it, even the women, would be slain. But the kind that will cry out 'death' for a scratch cannot, I think, be counted upon for much." |
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"Mayhap not, but you spoke the right words to draw from them the best of whatever is in them," Ian approved, glancing around for a moment to look at Geoffrey's face. |
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To expect the best of a man often brought just that from him. So had Simon reclaimed him from hell; and Geoffrey had also answered well to that method. Geoffrey's mind worked well and swiftly, even fuddled with pain and tiredness; and he had suffered no sickness in this fighting. Perhaps he will never match me in inches, Ian thought, but he may well match me in fighting skilland not long from now. |
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"On the other hand," Geoffrey continued, smiling a little at the praise but intent on transmitting the neces- |
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